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Mary Virginia Martin (December 1, 1913 – November 3, 1990) born in Weatherford, Texas was a Tony Award winning American star of (mainly stage) musicals. Amongst the roles originally created by her were those of Nellie Forbush in South Pacific and Maria in The Sound of Music.
Early life Her life as a child, as Martin describes it in her autobiography My Heart Belongs, was secure and joyful. She had close relationships with both her mother and father, as well as her other siblings. Her autobiography details how the young actress had an instinctive ear for recreating the sounds heard in the musical world. Career Mary Martin struggled for nearly two years to break into show business. She was nicknamed "Audition Mary" because she auditioned so often. As a struggling young actress, Martin endured humorous and sometimes frightful luck trying to make it in the world, from car crashes leading to vocal instruction, unknowingly singing in front of Oscar Hammerstein II, to her final break on Broadway granted by the very prominent producer, Lawrence Schwab. Martin's career then took off at a rapid pace. She received the Donaldson Award and the New York Film Critics Circle Award in 1943 for One Touch of Venus. In 1955 and 1956, she received, first, a Tony for Peter Pan, and then an Emmy for appearing in the same role on television. She also received Tony Awards for South Pacific, and, in 1959, for The Sound of Music. Although she did a few films early in her career, she was generally passed over for the filmed version of the musical plays in which she starred. She herself once explained that she did not enjoy making films, because she did not have the "connection" with an audience that she had in live performances. The closest she ever came to preserving her stage performances were her famous television appearances as Peter Pan (she had starred in a musical version on Broadway in 1954, and this production was subsequently performed on television in 1955, 1956 and 1960). While Mary Martin did not enjoy making theatrical films, however, she apparently enjoyed appearing on television, and did so frequently. Personal life, marriages, relationships Trivia Stage Appearances Television Work Filmography | ||||||||
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